Transfer mechanism.



T. R. COOK. TRANSFER MEGHANIQM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 33, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR waive-asses TRANSFER MECHANISM,

APPLIOATION FILED $22323, 1909.

985,398. Patented: Feb.28,1911.

' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' EWVENTKDR THOMAS E. COOK. OE FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

TRANSFER MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pat nt d IP 1 28 1 9'1 1;

Application fi1ed September23,,1909. Serial No. 519,224.

To oll who'ni it may concern:

Be it known that LTnonas R. Coon, a

citizen of the United States, residing at; Fort 1V ayne, in thecounty of Allen and state of Indiana, have invented certain new i and useful Improvements "in Transfer l\leehanisn'is,of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to inecnanisin for handling coal 'or similar material, and particularly for mechanism employedfor receiving the material and carrying it to ole-- vatedbins or hoppers from which it may. be discharged by'lgravity. lhe invent-ion has for its objects; the provision of semiautomatic conveying mechanism -'requiring little attention, of simple construction, and

ellicient and'reliable-in operation; the provision of mechanism in which the-load upon the operating mechanism. is made uniform and the starting load reduced to a n'iinimum. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation showing the general arrangement of the mechanism, c

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partially in section, of the arrangement. shown in Figure l, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation view of the dump car employed.

Referring to the general arrangementas shown in Fig. 1, 1 is'a receiving bin or hopper, over which cars carrying material such as coal, may be conducted on the rails- 55, and 3, 4, 5 and 6 are discharge bins or hoppers to which the material from the receiving hopper 1 13 carried by means of the transfer mechanism to be hereinafter more particularly described. The hoppersare all preferably constructed of concrete,

and the hoppers 3,4, 5 and 6 are supportedat an elevation by means of a framework, the optline only of which is illustrated. Car tracks, 7, 8, 9 and 10 lead under the various. discharge hoppers, the discharge from the hoppers to the cars being accomplished by means of chutes to which suitable controlling mechanism (not shown) is applied.

The transfer of material from the bin 1 to the bins 3, 4, 5 and 6 is accomplished. by meansjof a pair of ,du'mp cars"operating upon substantially arallel tracks, which and there discharged.

tracks extend from a position beneath the hopper 1 to a position over the hoppers 3, 4-, 5 and (i, so that-the cars may be filled by means of a gravity discharge from the hopper or bin 1, and carried along the track- -to a position m'er the hoppers 3, 4-, and-(3 used for operating the cars, and automatic mechanism is provided for dumpmg the ears when they arrive atthe proper hopper.

system of counter-weights isbmployed, so

that. the weight of the descending car may be utilized in lifting the loaded car, thus rendering the load upon the operating motor more uniform.

- The cars employed (Figs. 2 and 3) comprise a truck-lilac framework ll carried by A single motor is wheels 12, and a body portion 13 pivoted 1 at 1 1 between the frames 11. The main part of the bodyportion of the car lies below the pivot point 14, so that the body portion 13 maintains itself in upright position regardless of the angle of the wheel base as will be seen by reference to the lower car in Fig. 1. Doors 15 are provided in the bottom of the car (Fig. which doors are operated by means of a pair of levers 16-16, one of which is located at each end of the car, such levers .be-

ing el'igaged at their upper ends by another pair of lovers 171'T. These levers 17 are.

secured upon a transverse shaft 18 which carries at its center the curved operating handle 19, the actuation of which serves to open and shut. the doors. Each car rides upon a track 20, such tracks 20 being parallel, and being braced and siipported in any suitable manner. Guard rails 21 extendalong the tracks 20, and render disengagement of thee-car from the track impossible when such car is upon the inclined portion of the track. The dump cars which may be referred to. as A- and -B are operated by means of cables 22 and 23 extending over sheaves 24, 25, 2.6 and 27, and to the drum 28 of the operating motor 29, which m C FtOI' may be of any approved type but; is preferably an electricmotor. The point ofattachment of the cables 92 and 23 to the cars A and B is preferably at. a point sutticiently high above. the wheel base. that the weight of the ear in connection with the pull upon the cablesls sufficient to maintain the cars upon their tracks 20, but the guard rails 21 here at 34 to the framework and the other end secured to a hook 35. T he hook 35 is so positioned that it will engage the rear axle of the car as it moves along the track, and the further movement of the dump car along the horizontal portion of the track causes the counter-weight to he lifted, so that when the car reaches the PQSl. tion of the car B the counter-weight assumes the position indicated at"31-. After the dump car B has been dumped the c'ountor-weight assists in dragging the car backand the load on the be greatly reduced, and on the return moveillustrate its use, what I claim asncw ward along the horizontal portion .of the track, or in other words assists the motor in lifting the car A which starts up the track as the car B starts in the reverse direction. The load upon the motor is thus made more uniform as the hook 3") engages the car at the moment the vertical lift is completed, motor would otherwise ment of the carthe assistance of the coun= tor-weight reduces the load upon the motor atthe time when such load would otherwise be greatest, viz., at the tinic the car A is being moved upthe uprightportion' of the track. Each hook 35 has a laterally extend 'ing axis 36 engaging a slot 37 in a membcrcarried by the framework, so that when the hooks reach the position indicated at 35 they are positively stopped and maintained in position.

Above each of the bins 3, 4, 5 and 6 is a device (3 for securing the dumping of the car into the bin beneath. Each of the devices may he so' shifted that they will either secure the dumping of thecar or permit the ear-to pass under without actuating it, and these devices are controlled from the observation house or cab l) by means of pipes E extend: ing therefrom to the'air cylinders.

in order [9 move the doors of the cars to closed position inclined members I! are provided ah'ore each track, which members F are adapted to engage the 'upper side of the operating lever 19 and move it laterally.

Having ,thus described my invention and and tially- A is raised. Suspended be desire to secure hy'Letters Patent is the fol- 64 lowing,-:

1. In transfer mechanism, two tracks each having an upright portion :and a substanhorizontal discharge portion, a dump car for each track, a motor for moving both 6 cars along the tracks-connections from the motor to the cars arranged so that when one car is in upper position the other car is in lower position, and a counter-weight for each 2. In transfer mechanism, two tracks each having an upr1ght portion and a substancar arranged as to be lifted with the cars 7 as they are dragged 'along the horizontal portions of the tracks.

tially'horizol'ital discharge portion, a dump car for each track, a ,motor for moving both cars along the tracks, connections from the motor to thecars arranged so that when one car is in upper position the other car is in lower position, a counter-weight for each ear arranged so as to be lifted with the cars [as they are dragged along the horizontal portions of the tracks and to be released when the cars reach the upright portions of the tracks on their return nun-ements.

3. In transfer mechanism, two tracks each having an upright portion and a substantially horizontal discharge portion, a dump cars along the tracks, connections fron'rlhe motor to the cars arrangedso that when one ear isin upper position the other car is in lower position, a cmmter-weight for each car, and means connected to the couutemveights for automatically engaging the cars to secure means being located adjacent the upper part of the upright portion of the tracks.

4. ln-transfer mechanism, two tracks each having an upright portion and a suhstantially horizontal discharge portion, a dump ca r for each track, a motor for moving both cars along the tracks, connections from the motor to the cars arranged so that when one car is in upper position the other car is in lowerposition, acounter-weight for each car,

'car for each trackfa motor for moving hoth 1 .the lifting of the coumer-weights, such' and hooks located adjacent the. upper part of the upright portion of the tracks in position to engage the cars and connected to the counter-weights.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

THOMAS R. COOK.

VVitnes-ses F M. J. Bm'rz, J. F. 'linn. 

